


Something Hard

by Noteventhat (Facialteeth)



Series: Skyrim AU [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Broken Bones, Fantasy oppression, Hurt Magnus Bane, M/M, Magical Realism, Major Character Injury, Nord Alec, Orc Magnus, Orc Oppression, Royal Alec Lightwood, Skyrim AU, Threats of Violence, death of a child mentioned, magical healing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facialteeth/pseuds/Noteventhat
Summary: Being an orc, Magnus knew that the primarily nordic people of his village did not like him but Magnus didn't realize just how deep that hatred went. After it becomes clear Magnus is not safe, Alec and him decide to leave at any means necessary- even if it means running to Alec's family for help.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Skyrim AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034022
Comments: 18
Kudos: 69
Collections: SHBingo 20-21





	Something Hard

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second part to my Skyrim AU, so you might want to go read the first part first. Please check the tags. There is violence in this work!
> 
> This is also going to be my submission for my 'Royalty AU' slot for SH bingo.

Alec and Magnus had been together for nearly three months when it became obvious that the village they’d found each other in was not the place they wanted to make their home together. Magnus had grown used to the way he was treated and he’d come to accept it as a fact of his life but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a line of what Magnus could deal with.

Mostly, the people of the village ignored him. Magnus was allowed to buy food and clothes from the shops. Magnus suspected people just let him because they wanted his money, but other than that, Magnus was mostly shunned. People did not greet him. People did not smile at him but Magnus was okay with that, especially since he had Alec now.

The coldness from the village was alright. It was something Magnus could deal with but… he hadn’t expected that coldness to go any farther than that. The people in the village did not like him but Magnus didn’t think they hated him as strongly as some of them apparently did.

It happened on an evening that Alec was working late. Magnus knew after working such a long shift that Alec was going to be exhausted, so he’d decided to go out and buy he and Alec something special for them to eat that night. After, he’d even decided to make a quick stop at their local potion supplier and buy a light muscle relaxer, to make Alec feel better that night.

That accompanied with the fact that Magnus had already left a little late to go shopping meant that by the time Magnus was making his way home, it was already dark. Magnus tried not to go out after dark. It wasn’t safe for an orc like him to be out so late when people were bound to be making their way home in the dark, perhaps a little drunk and bolder in their hatred than they’d normally be.

Still, Magnus hadn’t expected it to ever go that far, even if he was cautious. He thought maybe he was at risk of getting pushed around a little, something that had happened before and probably would again but he never quite thought that anyone would be willing to do more than that but apparently, he’d underestimated just how much people didn’t like him.

He was caught on the pathway towards the tavern he and Alec lived in, a section of the road that dipped into darkness for a while before it came back into the light. Had Magnus been paying attention, he would have noticed the two men standing at the side of the walk way and he might have even noticed something sinister about the way they were staring at him but he wasn’t looking.

His arms were full of the things he’d just bought and in his head, he was thinking about Alec, wondering if he’d gotten home already or if Magnus would have time to try and bake some bread for tomorrow before he got there. He didn’t even notice the men until they stepped out onto the walkway a few feet in front of him, blocking his path.

Instantly, Magnus felt the hair on the back of his neck rise up. His heart quickened in his chest and he knew that he’d just walked into a very bad situation. He didn’t know how bad yet but his body knew and part of him felt like he should just turn and run.

Maybe, he should have but he swallowed his nervousness down and convinced himself it was okay, that maybe they just wanted money or even to spit some cruel words at him before they’d let him go. That had been his first mistake. He should have turned and ran until he could duck into the shop nearby but his feet stayed grounded into place.

Magnus had just been about to ask what they needed when one of them, a nord unsurprisingly, spoke. “You made a mistake coming out here so late, little orc.” The man said, his words dark, leaving no room to misunderstand them.

Magnus opened his mouth to respond but found his tongue had gone dry. What could he really say to that anyway? Nothing that would make them have any better intentions, Magnus knew. Nothing that would make him safe here.

“What, khajiit got your tongue?” The other hissed, making Magnus back up an instinctive step that they both followed. When Magnus tried to back up further, one of them leapt, a hand grabbing at Magnus’ shirt and yanking him forward.

For a terrifying moment, Magnus realized that he couldn’t move, not easily anyway. He was stuck and the man that was holding him didn’t seem too inclined to let him go. Still, Magnus didn’t panic. Maybe, they’d just say some mean words and let him go. Maybe, it was better if Magnus didn’t thrash and scream. Maybe, playing along would make them let him go quicker.

That or he was just too scared to do anything at all and pretending it had been a calculated choice made him feel better.

“I was just on my way home…” Magnus attempted, hoping they’d choose to let him go if he promised to flee their sight as soon as he could but of course, that wasn’t really what they were after. If they let Magnus leave, they’d have no place else to place their anger. They’d have nothing _fun_ to do with their drunken rage.

“What do you think, Gauldan- should we let the orc go home?” One of them asked, laughing as if the whole situation was so incredibly funny. The man tightened his hand on Magnus’ collar, tight enough that Magnus felt like he was choking, though he wouldn’t dare show it.

“No, I think we should teach the orc a lesson.” The other said, lumbering forward until Magnus could smell nothing but the alcohol on the man’s breath. Magnus knew they’d been drinking but it was not a good sign for them to be _that_ drunk. Alcohol in a nord’s stomach was never a good thing for anyone like Magnus, especially not in the dark where no one would see what they would do.

That was the first moment Magnus realized just how bad the situation he was in was. That and the next moment, in which the first man, still holding Magnus’ collar, yanked him forward before punching him in the stomach, his piercing cruel laughter echoing in Magnus’ head as everything he’d been holding fell from his hands.

Magnus heard the potion shatter on the ground but that was nothing compared to the sick crack he felt in his chest, followed by the pain that let Magnus know he’d almost certainly broken a bone. Magnus must have cried out but he couldn’t even hear himself through the pain of the next strike that followed just as quickly as the last.

After that one of them took the liberty of punching him in the face and then, Magnus didn’t remember much else. Magnus’ felt his feet give out under him and then, he was being held up by nothing but the man who was still holding him. Something was gushing across his face, blood Magnus realized later. Everything after that was lost in flashes of pain. The next thing Magnus knew, he was on the ground. He must have fallen but Magnus didn’t remember doing so.

He felt something hit him again and he wasn’t even sure what it was, only that it hurt so bad that Magnus was surprised he hadn’t passed out. They’d kicked him, Magnus put together later, judging by the bruise that had been left across his already injured chest.

He knew he was on the ground for a while. Someone found him but he wasn’t sure who. That person must have known enough to go find Alec or maybe, Alec heard some other way but either way, Magnus remembered being moved. Someone lifted him. It hurt. Someone was talking to him and then suddenly, Alec was there.

Magnus remembered hearing his voice but he couldn’t make out anything he’d said. He remembered something being forced into his mouth, a healing potion he learned later but when he woke up the next day, his whole body a deep painful ache, he learned that the potion hadn’t quite worked that well.

Healing potions were good for smaller injuries, which they’d heal almost instantly. They were good for speeding up the healing process but when broken bones were involved, there came a point when there was nothing to do but wait and let things heal normally, unless you wanted to spend money on an actual healer- money Alec and Magnus did not have.

The next thing Magnus knew he was waking up. Alec was beside him the moment Magnus let out his first groan and with bleary eyes, Magnus took in the concerned face of Alec hovering over him. Magnus was laying in their cot, with their soft blankets pressed around him, his feet propped up, his head cradled by pillows. Someone, clearly Alec, had taken care trying to make him comfortable but it didn’t quite work. There was no making him comfortable like this.

“It’s alright,” Alec murmured, even though nothing about the situation felt alright at all. “You’re okay,” Alec said, even though Magnus was very clearly not okay. Magnus must have passed out soon after he’d woken up because the next thing he remembered, it was some time later and Alec was there again, gently but insistently trying to press water into Magnus’ mouth.

Magnus wasn’t sure how he went to the bathroom in those few days. Maybe, he’d been eating and drinking so little that he simply didn’t have to go or maybe, Alec had just cleaned him up and not said anything about it but Magnus knew that he didn’t move for days. He couldn’t. He swarmed in and out of consciousness, feeling flashes of pain, brief moments of seeing Alec’s face, before it was all gone again.

When Magnus finally woke up, _actually_ woke up, he felt no better than he had before but something had forced him awake and not let him drift back into sleep like he had for days. Alec hadn’t been there when he’d opened his eyes and Magnus had assumed Alec was working but he learned later that Alec hadn’t gone to work since Magnus had gotten hurt. He’d spent almost every moment by Magnus’ side but of course, Magnus woke up in the brief moments that Alec had left to go buy food and water.

When Alec came down the stairs and into Magnus’ view, he was carrying a few bundles of bread that he instantly threw onto the table so he could rush forward when he saw that Magnus was awake. Almost instantly, he was kneeling by Magnus’ side, his hands hovering awkwardly like he wanted to reach forward and touch him but he wasn’t sure if it would hurt him. That hesitation was understandable, considering how awful Magnus looked.

His nose had been broken. His cheek was so swollen that his whole face was lopsided and Alec had been terrified he’d broken his jaw. Magnus’ chest was scattered with dark, deep bruises and a few of his ribs were decidedly broken. Even one of Magnus’ tusks, which he had never been too fond of, was broken off completely.

He was a sorry sight but he felt even worse than he looked, which was saying something.

Alec encouraged him to try and drink some water. He frantically pushed a chunk of bread into Magnus’ hands for him to pick at, as if Alec thought eating would mend all of his wounds and make everything alright. They spent nearly that whole day curled together, murmuring soft words about everything being okay, Magnus trying to eat to appease Alec and mostly failing.

It was the next day that the soft words stopped and reality set in. Magnus woke up more lucid than he’d been for days. He woke no longer comforted by Alec’s words. He woke up remembering everything that had happened.

A sob had caught in his throat before he’d even been able to try and say anything to Alec but Alec knew why he was crying. Magnus didn’t need to say anything to explain it to him but eventually, he found words anyway. “I didn’t do anything,” Magnus choked out.

Alec clutched Magnus as close as he could, his words just as broken as Magnus’ when he replied, “I know. I know you didn’t.”

Magnus didn’t need to explain to Alec exactly what had happened. Either someone had told him or he simply knew. It wasn’t hard to try and figure out exactly why an orc would be attacked in their village late at night for doing nothing wrong.

It was a few days later when Alec finally brought up leaving for the first time. Magnus’ swelling had gone down. He looked far better than he had days ago but he was still covered in dark bruises, his tusk was still broken and his bones had yet to mend together. Still, he had managed to sit up that morning, which was a great improvement.

“I think we should move,” Alec had said, which did nothing but make Magnus frown.

Of course, they should move. This had never been a place for Magnus and Alec could do far better somewhere else. Especially after what had happened, Magnus wanted nothing more than to be _anywhere_ else, maybe one of the cities that he heard could be far more accepting of people like him but that didn’t change the fact that they had no money to move, no reassurance they’d have jobs or a place to stay where ever they found themselves and no savings to catch them while they figured it out. They barely had enough gold to live now, even with Alec’s job.

“How?” Was all Magnus said back, expecting Alec to realize that it wasn’t quite a reality for them.

Instead, Alec stayed silent for a few long moments before he finally said, “My family.”

That had made Magnus’ frown deepen instantly. Alec had never spoken about his family. Magnus just knew that he didn’t get along with them and he hadn’t planned to speak to them again.

“They’re… well off.” Alec frowned himself as he spoke, refusing to look up to Magnus. “They live in Solitude. I don’t know if my mother will be happy to see me but she’ll give us a place to live for a while.” Finally, Alec looked up and when he looked at Magnus, he clearly had to hold back a grimace.

“We can’t stay here,” he continued, eyeing Magnus’ bruised face. “We need to leave. The stable boy owes me. He said I can take one of his horses. We can make the trip in a few days, as soon as you’re ready to move.” Alec fell silent for another moment before his eyes flickered away. “I think it’s our best option and Solitude is…” Alec hesitated.

“Rich,” Magnus mumbled.

Alec took in a sharp breath. “-not absolutely horrible.” He finished, ignoring Magnus’ point entirely. “People are nice in Solitude. I think you’d be safer there. There will always be…” Alec trailed off for a moment, clearly not sure how to reference what had happened to Magnus in any delicate way.

“People who hate me?” Magnus asked softly.

Alec glanced up to him for a second, frowning but nodding once, a sharp motion like it pained him to admit it. “I think it would be better and we could make more money there too. It could be a nice change of scenery,” he said, almost purposely wording it as if it was as simple as that.

They weren’t fleeing because Magnus wasn’t safe where they lived. They weren’t fleeing because Alec couldn’t be with him all the time and Magnus’ life could be in danger because people hated him so much for stuff that he couldn’t control.

It was none of that. They simply needed a change of scenery.

After a moment, Magnus nodded, or he tried to and was reminded suddenly of why he was trying not to move when the motion made his whole upper body light in pain. “Okay,” he finally said, when the pain subsided and he was able to speak again.

They didn’t really have any other options or Magnus didn’t really have any other options. Alec did. Alec could leave him. Alec could wipe his hands of him completely and move on but for some reason, he didn’t want to.

Magnus still didn’t really understand why.

It was nearly a week later by the time they decided they should leave. Alec hadn’t been working the whole time and their money was getting dangerously low. They had just enough left to buy some food for the trip and hope Alec’s family would actually help them when they arrived.

Alec seemed to think they would but he also didn’t seem too inclined to talk anymore about them. It was clear to Magnus that Alec wasn’t fond of them but he didn’t press to find out why. It was obvious Alec didn’t want to talk about it and if they were going to meet them, Magnus figured he’d find out eventually.

Magnus also didn’t ask how Alec’s family would feel about him and Alec didn’t offer the information. That alone didn’t seem like a good sign. A well off nordic family that his partner wasn’t fond of? No, Magnus imagined he wouldn’t be their prime pick of a partner for their estranged son to have.

Magnus just hoped it wouldn’t be enough for them to send both of them away empty handed. Magnus didn’t know what they’d do then. Finding work and a place to stay was easier in poor villages, where it was understandable that someone might want to exchange their service to get off the street but in a city, the capital of Skyrim no less, Magnus was sure that wouldn’t fly. They’d find no where to stay, if they didn’t have the coin for it.

Still, Magnus tried not to dwell on everything that could go wrong. Alec seemed to think his family would help them, so Magnus trusted him.

Still, riding a horse for days when his ribs were broken? Well, it was a rough couple of days to say the least and the cold that chased them the whole way and bled through all of their clothes certainly didn’t help and neither did the wolves they encountered and had to chase off their whole ride.

In the end, they decided not to stop and set up camp when night fell, like they’d intended. Alec thought it was too dangerous. So, despite how desperately Magnus wanted to stop feeling pain, even just for a few moments, they kept going. They rode for two days straight and then, they finally rode into Solitude around seven AM.

The city was more grand than Magnus had imagined it would be. He’d never been to Solitude before, nor any of the bigger cities really but this place had apparently been where Alec had been born and raised. He imagined Alec a child, running through the streets and it made him smile a little.

This place fit Alec somehow. It made sense his partner and his elegant speech grew up in a place like this. Still, in the same moment, Magnus felt exceptionally out of place. He’d never had more than a handful of gold his entire life. The dirt on his clothes and the bruises across his face made him exceptionally more aware of that. He was never made for cities as grand as this and he felt like that even before Alec rode them through the entire city and stopped them at what was unmistakably a palace.

For a few moments, it didn’t make sense to Magnus. Magnus couldn’t comprehend why Alec had brought them here when they were supposed to be coming to find his family and then, it clicked in Magnus head. All he felt was a wave of disbelief, as if he was somehow vastly misunderstanding but Alec’s silence said more than any of his words could.

At last, Alec spoke, “I should have told you but I just didn’t know how,” Alec mumbled, conveniently not being able to look back towards Magnus and also not seeming willing to jump off the horse, so they could face each other to speak.

Magnus tightened his hand on Alec’s waist, letting what this meant sink in for a few moments. “Your family…” Magnus trailed off, not even wanting to say it.

Alec nodded. “I should have told you,” He mumbled again. “I’m sorry.”

After a moment, Alec pulled himself off the horse and reached up to gently help Magnus down, though landing still hurt badly enough that Alec had to hold him up, so he wouldn’t topple over right there. Magnus felt like he wanted to throw up and it was both due to the pain, the lack of sleep and the enormous grand building they were standing in front of.

“Why did you leave?” Magnus asked finally, as Alec avoided his eyes and fed their horse a piece of carrot from his pocket.

“My brother died,” Alec responded numbly. “He was kidnapped. My mother let the rebels kill him because she thought it would be distasteful to launch an attack. I left and I had never intended to come back but…”

Alec trailed off without finishing. He didn’t need to explain why he’d changed his mind. It was because of Magnus.

Finally, when Alec couldn’t distract himself any longer, Alec took the reins of their horse and slowly led them towards the palace. Alec let the horse go in the courtyard and then at the top of the stairs, they were stopped by guards, who took one look at Alec and then appeared as if they’d seen a ghost. They hardly even glanced to Magnus before they were let in. Standing in the entrance way of the palace, where they’d been told to stop, Alec had a look on his face as if they’d entered a haunted house.

Looking around, Magnus understood that sentiment. He’d never seen more decorative, expensive objects in his entire life. Magnus saw a bowl full of flowers that was resting on a table, one that was probably more expensive than Magnus was.

Knowing that Alec had lived here and knowing that Alec had apparently been happy living with Magnus in a basement with almost nothing- the thought was almost inconceivable but apparently, it had been the truth all along.

A few moments later a woman, someone dressed in expensive robes, walked into the room and after staring for too long, Magnus realized this had to be Alec’s mother. The woman stared at Alec for a very long time, almost as if she didn’t believe he was there at all, before she was rushing forward all at once.

Magnus instinctively backed up before he realized that the woman was hugging Alec, not attacking him. She clutched Alec tight, murmuring something about her boy while Alec stood there completely limp and blank faced.

After a moment, the woman let go and they were both led up some stairs, into a room much like a living room, one with a blazing warm fire and couches more comfortable than anything Magnus had ever been invited to sit on in his life.

The woman quickly asked for food to be brought to them, for a room to be readied and when Alec asked, for a healer to be brought to check Magnus out. Magnus saw the woman's lips pressed when Alec requested it and shortly after, she asked if Magnus would need his own room, to which Alec responded no.

She didn’t seem pleased by that at all but she seemed to sense not to say anything.

A healer more powerful than Magnus had met before came and melted the bruises on his body, mended his bones back together and left Magnus feeling better than he had in a long time, possibly even before he’d been hurt. Then, Alec and him had been brought up to a room so extravagant that it had taken Magnus’ breath away for a few moments. Alec himself stared around at everything with a blank expression on his face, not as surprised or awed as Magnus was and clearly, none too happy to be there.

With the doors finally closed, leaving them both alone together, Alec seemed to breathe for the first time since they’d walked in the grand building. He took a few moments to close his eyes and drag in a few deep breaths before he opened them again and quietly asked if Magnus wanted to use the washroom and take a bath with him.

Magnus had never taken a bath before, not one like Alec was offering now anyway. Not one with warm running water into a golden tub big enough to fit them both. Magnus agreed and after they’d eased into the water and curled into each other, Alec let out a soft laugh for the first time, starting to gently lather soap across Magnus’ body. Magnus knew that Alec wasn’t happy to be here but with Alec, in water more soothing than Magnus had ever imagined was possible, Magnus found it hard to complain.

The horror of the past few weeks bled away. Later, they’d have to figure out what they’d do. Magnus knew Alec wouldn’t want them to stay here for any longer than they had to and he also knew that Alec’s mother didn’t seem too pleased with his presence but for now, they had food, they had each other, Magnus wasn’t in pain anymore and they were safe.

For at least the night, that was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a more self indulgent fic in my life.


End file.
